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How to do Ritual

Forgive me if this has already been discussed. I looked around and didn't see what I was looking for.

I would like to do rituals. Otherwise I find I tend to forget, and things slip away. I have seen only one youtube video on a morning ritual, but it really didn't show how to do one.

Another question is that some of the tools to do a puja are very expensive. At the moment, I don't even have enough money for food, never mind a brass or silver tray and bowls. Is there a proper way to do rituals with other things until I can manage to buy these things?

Re: How to do Ritual

Is there a proper way to do rituals with other things until I can manage to buy these things?

The only way I can think of is offering flowers(handpicked would be better ) to the pictures and statues of your deities. If you don't have any pictures you can try printing out some coloured ones.

But don't worry. It's not really necessary to perform rituals at home if you don't have the utensils (or until you are able to acquire the relevant utensils). You can perhaps visit the temples you mentioned of every once in awhile and take part in the rituals there.

Re: How to do Ritual

Equinox, I was picking flowers, but it's winter now. No flowers around this time of year. And I won't be able to visit a temple until I can get another car. Just looking for things I could do.
Thanks for your input.

Re: How to do Ritual

Hi Lily,

Last year I had nearly my entire altar and all my puja thali etc stolen from me. I was not in a position where I could afford to replace those things. Like you, I need daily puja as when I don't do it I fall away very quickly. It's my favorite expression of bhakti as well.

What I did in it's place was to sit quietly and create a magnificent temple in my mind. I then invited the living Vishnu to come and sit. I then in my mind performed puja to him. I found this a powerful way of doing it until I could do external puja again. Maybe give it a try and see how it works for you.

Re: How to do Ritual

Originally Posted by Lakshmidevi

What I did in it's place was to sit quietly and create a magnificent temple in my mind. I then invited the living Vishnu to come and sit. I then in my mind performed puja to him. I found this a powerful way of doing it until I could do external puja again. Maybe give it a try and see how it works for you.

Not really answering Lilly, I just read the above remark and thought it might be of interest to note a relevant incident from history where a devotee of Shiva, Poosalar to be his name, built a grand temple for him in mind - coincidentally, another great devotee of Shiva who happened to be a king had a physical Shiva temple built and had the consecration ceremony on the very same day that Poosalar had fixed for the consecration of his temple for Shiva in mind. Lord Shiva forgoes the king's consecration ceremony and attends Poosalar's function. Full story here.

Re: How to do Ritual

Rituals could be of several kinds... for example, one kind is the fire ritual or 'Homa'. Other kind can be ritual of giving the deity daily cleansing and 16 different kind of 'upacharas' or 'paying respects' called as 'shodasa upacharas'. This may mean something like cleaning the altar, decorating it, cleaning/water bathing the murti, adorning with flowers, offering cloth, reciting prayers, doing 'archana' or offering of flowers with mantras, offering food, offering incense, showing camphor light and doing namaskaras. If one cannot offer food, flowers, cloth, nothing is needed, simple water will do is what I have read. Hope this is of some help.